Last weekend for the holiday Dad and Nancy drove down from Tulsa for a few days to visit. We hadn't seen them since our wedding last November. Tracy and I have been trying to get up to Tulsa, but obviously not trying hard enough since we haven't made it.

They came down on Friday and left on Sunday morning. Tracy and I both stayed home on Friday and did our best to keep the hounds of business from trampling down our door. Tracy succeeded far better than I, but eventually I was able to put all my troubles to bed until after the holiday. While I worked on closing out a few work issues, Tracy gave Dad and Nancy the 5 cent tour of our new house. Then once they were settled in, we all headed to Ballard Street Cafe for an eagerly awaited lunch.

Saturday morning Dad and I headed off to Dallas to find him his favorite Irish Whisky, Red Breast, that he discovered during our wedding at Trinity Hall in Dallas. We then headed back towards my neck of the woods, with a leisurely stop at a new cigar shop in Garland. There I treated Dad to a good cigar in the store's cigar lounge. Very enjoyable.

The rest of the weekend was really just spent relaxing, eating and chatting. It was a very enjoyable time, although too short.

Tags: Dad, Holidays, Cigars

This father's day was one big trip for me, not in the we are going to Seattle kind of trip, but more like the "acid" variety. I'm not even married yet and I am not just a step-dad, but a grandfather and my dad and mom are both grandparents and great grandparents. When you think about it just a little ways, you come to the unmistakable conclusion that my future as a great grandparent myself is all but certain in well less than three decades. My friends will all be learning to be grandparents while I am learning how to be a great grandparent.... it boggles the mind. Stars help me, if little Carlos tries to drag me into great grandparent mode in 20 years or less. I really can't imagine being a great grandparent at 55. Click Here to Read More...

Tags: Photos, Holidays, Tracy, Carlos Jr., Dad

Dad came down for father's day this year along with Nancy. We hadn't seen them in a while and we had a great weekend. Too much of it was taken up with buying the new cars, but Dad got to take part in that process and I think he enjoyed himself. He really liked the BMW 5 Series. His kind of car. Although I'm with him... IT'S PRICY. We didn't do anything in Dallas too special, but we did have a great father's day celebration and he had an opportunity to meet Carlos and Javier, plus his soon to be great grand-son. Click Here to Read More...

Tags: Dad, Theater, Cigars, Tracy, Mom, Courtney

Today I became a grandfather. Carlos Ramone Herrera was born today at 3:23 pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs 9.7 oz and 21" long. Tracy is beside herself with joy. I wasn't able to go with her to the hospital for the birth, but from her account both mom and dad did very well and are extremely happy. They had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Carlos Jr. before the nurses took him away to be properly cleaned and then returned for a well deserved meal.

Hopefully the new family will be coming over for our father's day celebration. My dad and Nancy will be coming to town this weekend for it, Tracy's parents will be there and possibly Jim and Sharon. If we can get everyone together it would make for a wonderful and very festive father's day. Of course it will not only be Carlos Sr. first father's day but mine as well. I will have that to share with my stepson. Actually, my first father's day won't technically be until next year and I am not technically a grandfather; but hey, Tracy has been living here for over a year now... so I say I'm a dad and a granddad. I don't think anyone will challenge that.

Tags: Grandkids, Carlos Jr., Dad